


Fool's Errand

by pickleinspectorgadget



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: 69 (Sex Position), Christmas Party, Dirty Talk, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Jealousy, M/M, Multi, Oral Sex, Rough Sex, Sharing Partners, Suicide Attempt, Trans Genji Shimada, Vaginal Fingering, ah well. yell at me if it's not. well not yell but a gentle hey that's not quite right, character death mention, female terms for genji's genitals, right? that's right right? i think thats right, tags to be updated
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2017-11-09
Packaged: 2019-01-07 09:44:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 18,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12230355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickleinspectorgadget/pseuds/pickleinspectorgadget
Summary: fool's er-rand(noun)-a task or activity that has no hope of success.Every story needs a fool. Every fool has an empty goal. Many fools don't know when to give up.This is the story of one of those fools.





	1. I - The Fool

**Author's Note:**

> So the titles are going to be following tarot's major arcana but they're going to be out of order, and I may or may not remove some altogether if I can't figure out a topic for said card. 
> 
> Each chapter will be a little snapshot in a period of the character's life, so the stories may not seem terribly complete. Please bear with me, I'm doing my best.
> 
> Enjoy!

> **I - The Fool**  
>  Beginnings, innocence, spontaneity, a free spirit 

My life started on a cold, snowy evening in mid December of 2037, in a bleach white hospital room, in a small town just outside of Quebec City. A cute, chubby baby of 3.85kg (or 8.5lbs for those needing conversion), a head covered in wheat blond hair. Everything was so new and frightening to a newborn, I couldn’t help but cry and scream for the first few moments, until I was placed into my mother’s arms, that is, soothed but quiet, French whispers.

I grew quickly and without much trouble. My first steps at 9 months, quickly followed by a tumble onto my ass, my first word at a year. Well, most of a word. “Wobot.” Mom still chuckles about it, though I always had the suspicion that she was disappointed it wasn’t “mama”.

After that, I constantly babbled, whether about the “wobots” or the bits of cereal in front of me. Mom wasn’t the happiest about my early onset obsession with omnics, considering what had just begun to unfold, but she didn’t stomp out the early embers of passion. Her own parents had attempted to do that, and she’d sworn she would do better. Besides, why would a mechanic tell her child not to love machines? 

Father left just after I had begun to talk. I didn’t know what was going on, of course, being an infant. He was a drunk, one of the ones who stayed at the bar too late and went out with his buddies to look for stray omnics to beat. There had been so much arguing… if you can call one sided screaming matches and beatings dished out once she had gotten tired of it “arguing”. To this day, mother refuses to tell me what exactly happened to him. Mother often stands in the kitchen and stares out the window, at the old tree in the back yard.

She raised me, alone, in an old, two story house that had been in the family for generations. Our town was small, only a few thousand people. Sure everyone knew everyone else, sure rumors spread like a wildfire, but it was a beautiful place. She would often take me on walks to the river that bisected the town, until I was old enough to go on my own. It was home.

When Overwatch was founded, filling the news with promises of peace, freedom, a new spark seemed to fill my eye, or so my mother always told me. The years following, I kept far too close an eye on the organization. Far too close for a 10 year old. 

“ _Maman, maman! Je veux les rejoindre_! I wanna join them!” I would always say whenever a new story of the group’s victory would be broadcast. “Je connais, mon ange. I know.” She would always say, fond but saddened smile on her face.

Jack Morrison had become something of an idol to me. There were posters of the group known as Overwatch littering my walls, Jack, of course, being the main subject. I yearned to be just like him, heroic and bold, compassionate. I can't deny that I'd developed an infatuation for the man, that chiseled jaw, golden hair, gravelly voice. Oh, how amazing he looked in blue. But that subject is best saved for another time. 

As I got even older, I paid closer attention to mom’s work. She was one of the few mechanics in town, and by far the best, working on both vehicle and omnic alike. She only let me help with the cars, however, no matter how I begged and pleaded.

“Charlotte, _mon ange_ , no. I won’t risk their life so you can get the chance to tinker,” She would say, stern and solid as a brick wall. Most often while elbow deep in oil and coolant. I would always hear a quiet, robotic chuckle as I huff and walk away, and then the soft scolding of my mother. “Don’t laugh, your coolant will pump faster and I haven’t replaced the tube yet.”

I’d always been told that I looked at everything with a sort of… childish naivety before I left home, which was hardly surprising. I was a child after all, raised in a small town with small town problems, not knowing just how much there was to see out in the world. As I grew, and as I traveled, my thirst for knowledge grew with me. I watched everything, and everyone, closely. Perhaps a little _too_ closely. I always caught things I knew I shouldn’t, heard things I knew I shouldn’t. I always kept them stored away in my mind, guilty morsels of other’s lives.

Even as a teenager, I knew I could use these things to my advantage some day. Little did I know, it would land me a job, give me the best friends I could ask for… A family. A huge, warm family.


	2. VIII - Strength

> **VIII - Strength**  
>  Strength, courage, patience, control, compassion

Growing up during the omnic crisis, as a child with an unshakable love for the creatures, was difficult to say the least, especially when the only place you really knew was already full of hatred toward the omnics, even before the crisis.

But she managed.

She grew a thick skin for the mild, offhanded comments, and learned to shut her mouth altogether for those that would genuinely give her trouble.

Baseball practice had ended a bit late that day, the sun had begun to set. Charlie let out a sigh as she yanked her duffle bag higher onto her shoulder. ‘ _Oh man, I’m late for dinner… Mom is going to kill me._ ’ she thought as she turned, taking a different street than normal, one that had an alley where she could hop the fence and cut through a few yards. A shortcut. A risky one, seeing as the grumpy old man that lived in the first one had caught her once before, threatening to call the police if he caught her again. A risk she was willing to take to get home on time. Mom was far scarier than any cops around here. Lazy bums.

As she neared said alley, she heard the sounds of clanging metal and angry shouting. Being the ever curious one, she continued forward, peaking into the darkened alley. 

“Get the fuck up,” A man slurred. Drunk. The girl’s eyes flickered down to the drunken man’s hand, metal bat, dented. “I said, get up you piece of garbage!”

“You heard ‘im,” The other man crouched to yank the crumpled figure on the ground to its feet. He gripped them by their arm and stood aside as his friend swung the bat. Another loud, metallic sound. Wait. 

Charlotte squinted, eyes focusing on… the omnic? 

Before she realized what she was doing, she stepped out into the mouth of the alley, calling out to them.

“Hey! Leave them alone,” The pair turned their attention to the teen, frowning and dropping the bot, only for it to fall back to the ground with a pained groan.

“What’re you gonna do ‘bout it, girl?” One asked.

“You an omnic lover or somethin’?” The other questioned.

The girl swallowed and gripped the strap of her bag tighter.

“And if I am?” She slowly let the bag slip off her shoulder and hit the ground. “They’re better people than you, anyway,” She sneered, straightening her posture.

“You little bitch.” The armed one snarled, turning his full attention to the teen. “Say that again, I dare ya.”

“Omnics are better than drunks who do nothing with their lives but beat their wives and hate anything different.” Charlie took a step forward. It was risky, but she could win this. “I’m talking about you, by the way. I feel like I need to spell it out for you,”

He lifted the bat with a shout and swung, she ducked and swung her bag at his feet, knocking him on his ass.

“Come on, old man. Wouldn’t wanna lose to a little girl, would ya’?”

Nearly 6 minutes and many swings, hits, misses, cuts and bruises later, the pair of drunks hobbled away, in a worse state than when she found them; and down one bat, which had been left at her feet. Though, she was as well, she could feel bruises forming on her sides and cheek, scraped knees bleeding, whole body aching. But the omnic was safe, that’s all she really cared about. 

With a wavering sigh, she knelt down at the bot’s side, a wide grin plastered on her face.

“You okay? They didn’t getcha too bad, did they?” Its lights brightened slightly as it looked up at her.

“I… Fear I may be damaged.” Its voice was low, slightly more warbled than it should be. 

“Hm... “ Charlotte looked him over briefly, grin quickly turning to a frown, he was covered in dents and it looked as if he was leaking fluid. Were… were those sparks? Shit. This wasn’t something she could fix on the fly. “Come on, let’s get you fixed up.” She slowly stood back up, groaning at the light creak in her joints, and helped the bot to his feet, but not without grabbing the dented and oil-slicked bat.

“Where… where are we going?” He asked as his arm was slung over his rescuer’s shoulders and he was half hoisted to his feet, still quite hunched from both damage and his crutch’s height.

“My place. Mom’s a mechanic so she can help,” And with that, they made the slow, careful trek home. They didn’t make it until long after it had gotten dark, and she’d half expected to see her mother standing on the porch, looking up and down the street for her. The pair slowly made their way up the steps and to the door, the girl kicking at the door, attempting to knock.

The door was opened hurriedly, the woman on the other side obviously frazzled, tied up hair in disarray, as if she’d been pulling at it.

“Charlotte, where have you been?! I was worried… sick…” She trailed off as her gaze turned to the leaking omnic hanging off her daughter. “What’s going on?”

“I chased off a couple of drunks who were beating the oil out of him. He’s hurt.” She stared up at her mother, who in turn stared down at her. “Will you help?”

Mouth drawn into a thin line, she stepped to the side, gesturing them inside.

“Sit him on the couch, mon ange, bring my tool kit and a first-aid kit. You’re hurt too.”

“Ouais, maman.” She groaned as she did as she was told, wandering out of the room after sitting the bot on the couch. 

“Ah merde… what am I going to do with that girl?” She sighed and wandered into the livingroom. “She’s kind to a fault, that one.” She chuckled and knelt down in front of the omnic. “Do you know where you’re damaged?”

“Ah… sort of. My limbs are barely hanging together and my chassis is dented. I’m leaking from… somewhere, but I do not know where else.” He said quietly, turning his faceplate down toward his lap, as if ashamed.

“It’s a start.” She hummed, gently pressing on his chest, signalling him to lean back into the cushions. “I’m Nicolette, by the way. You’ve already met my daughter, Charlotte. Do you have a name?” Nicolette asked, taking an arm in hand and examining it closely.

“I… do not. Only a serial number,” The pair went quiet, though it wasn’t… uncomfortable. They listened closely to the creaking of the house, the faint clanging of metal in the garage, the quiet whirring of fans coming from the bot’s chrome casing.

“I see.” She hummed, glancing back up at her daughter, who had just bounded into the room.

“Got them!” Charlie set the metal box beside her mother and plopped down on the couch, holding the plastic box in her lap.

“Clean your knees, Charlie, or they will get infected. When you’re done, dinner is on the stove. It should still be warm.” Charlie sighed and did as she was told, hissing as she cleaned her knees with disinfectant. She had barely gotten the bandages onto her knees when she hopped up and headed to the kitchen. Nicolette turned her attention to the toolbox and retrieved a screwdriver.

The remaining pair sat in silence, listening to the gentle clattering on tableware and metal on metal.

“Do you want one?” Nicole asked softly, looking up at the blank faceplate above her. The bot tilted his head in confusion. “A name. Would you like one?”

“Ah…” He turned his face back down to watch the woman tinker with the joint of his wrist. “I… think I would like that…”

Nicole turned her face up to him and presented him with a warm smile. She could hear a faint buzzing and sputtering coming from him, a sound that caused her to begin laughing. Embarrassed omnics always made such funny sounds.

It was cute. Nicolette smacked herself internally for thinking so.

Several days had passed, and the bot was finally repaired to the extent of the older woman’s skills, some parts could be fixed but others had to be replaced altogether. But finally, the three of them sat in the Landry’s garage as Nicole tightened the last screw and oiled the last hinge, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead (and wiping oil across her face in the process) with a relieved exhale.

“There! All fixed.” 

Charlotte looked up from her homework and grinned. The seated bot raised an arm and turned it every which way, either examining the craftsmanship or testing his range, but he seemed satisfied as he let it drop back to his lap.

“I… Don’t know how to thank you.” He said, almost solemn as he lowered his head.

“No thanks needed,” Nicolette started, reaching for a rag to wipe her hands. “I haven’t seen Charlotte so happy in… a very long time. That in itself is a reward,” Though what she’d neglected to say was that she’d come to enjoy his presence. Someone to talk to, someone to just sit with.

“Moooooom,” The daughter whined and rolled her eyes, almost immediately turning her attention to the silver figure. “So! What are you going to do now?” She set the notebook in her lap onto the floor and brought her knees to her chest, resting her chin on them and staring up at them with big brown eyes. “You’re not going back to work at that factory, are you?”

“I don’t have much of a choice, I never really have.” 

The answer made the girl frown and look away. The trio sat in silence before the eldest spoke up.

“Would you like to stay here? With us?” At that, both the bot and Charlotte’s faces shot up to look at her. “We have plenty of space and I’m sure it would be a better arrangement than what you had before.”

“But… I don’t have anything to pay you back with…”

“You can always help out around the house,”

“And you could help maman in the shop! And me with my homework!” 

“I don’t know what to say…” He voice warbled slightly, hands seemingly shaking.

“You could start with ‘yes’,” Nicolette chuckled, reaching out to take the chilly metal hand in hers. “We’d love to have you,”

He looked up, trio of lights twinkling slightly.

“No human has ever shown me so much kindness. What did I ever do to deserve this?”

“Well… Nothing, really. We just don’t think you deserve to be treated so poorly simply because you’re made of metal,” 

“It’s not your fault you were made this way,” Liz piped up. “Just like us, you can’t control who you are.” She crawled closer and set her hand on the upper part of his arm, not quite able to reach his shoulder. 

“Then, yes, I would love to stay,” Charlotte jumped to her feet with a squeal, wrapping her arms around the bot, who let out a startled warble.

“Yesss! I’m gonna go set up the guest room!” And with that, she turned and bolted back into the house.

“Charl- don’t run!” Nicolette groaned and watched as the door swung shut behind her daughter. “Ah merde… What am I going to do with that girl?” Her exasperation was met by a low, metallic chuckle. He reached out to take the rag from her other hand and bring it to her face, wiping the smear of oil from her cheek.

“There’s some oil on your face.” He said softly, taking his time, making sure there was nothing left. “There…”

Nicole’s face gradually grew redder as the pair sat quietly, hands still held together.

“We um… Thought of a name, by the way. It was mostly Charlotte but um…” Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, free hand playing with the loose hem of her shirt. “What do you think of ‘Matisse’?”

“I think it’s wonderful.” If he’d been able, he’d have smiled, but he settled for tightening his grip on her hand.

“I’m glad.”


	3. XI - Wheel of Fortune

> **XI - Wheel of Fortune**  
> 
> 
> Good luck, karma, life cycles, destiny, a turning point

_“Can you go into the city for me? I have a delivery waiting. I would go but I have an appointment,”_

Of course, she had eagerly accepted. As much as she loved her little town, the city was fascinating, there was always something new to discover. 

Today, her discovery was a young girl, not too much older than her, clad all in that iconic blue armor with a huge smile on her face and a stack of fliers in her hand. Shiny black hair glistening in the midday sun, bright eyes eagerly looking at every passerby. Fuck she was beautiful.

Charlotte stopped in her tracks, large, paper wrapped parcel hugged to her chest. Her heart leapt when she looked at the small booth behind her. Overwatch? In her neck of the woods? Too good to be true. Apparently, she had been staring long enough for the girl to notice her, waving her over.

“Miss!” She called, excited that someone was taking an interest. “You wouldn’t happen to be interested in joining, would ya?” She had the cutest accent, maybe… New York? It was quite close, just across the river.

Charlie was stunned. It was like a dream come true. She nodded dumbly as the girl giggled, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.

“I’ve… actually wanted to join since I was a child.” The girl’s face brightened even further, if that were possible.

“Really!? It really _is_ my lucky day,” 

They stood in the street, talking for a little too long. She’d learned the girl’s name, Hikaru. 

Hikaru gave her a flyer, Charlotte gave her phone number. After all, she had to talk to her mother and she wanted Hikaru to get the credit for her recruitment. Yeah. That was why. 

She was antsy the whole way home, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she stared out of the train window, package and flyer tightly held to her chest. She met her mother at her shop, quietly standing in the garage, watching as she examined a car’s engine.

“Welcome back,” Nicole muttered, leaning in and taking a closer look at her work. “Could you put that over there somewhere?” She raised a hand and absently waved toward her toolbench.

“Mama… I met someone in the city today,” Charlotte started, making her way to the bench. “It was a recruiter...For Overwatch,”

“And that’s why you’re so late?” A few moments of silence passed, and was followed by a sigh. “I’m assuming you’re trying to ask for permission,” The woman took a step back and stood up straight, groaning softly as her back creaked into place. “You’re an adult, mon ange, I can’t really stop you if you really want to join,”

“I know but… You should have some say in it… Right?” Another sigh from the older woman, followed by a shaking of her head.

“I’m not thrilled by the idea of sending my only child off to fight, but you’ve wanted this since you found them. I… I just want you to do what makes you happy,”

Charlotte was… stunned. This was far from how she’d expected this to go. Having the desire was one thing, but actually having the opportunity was another, and she was fully prepared for her mother’s stance to change.

“Oh…”

“If you need help filling something out, let me know,” Nicolette said, a hint of sadness in her voice.


	4. X - Hermit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a lot shorter than the rest, so sorry about that. Canon characters will begin to appear next chapter, I promise.

> **X - Hermit**  
>  Soul-searching, introspection, being alone, inner guidance

In preparation for the journey, and her new life, she’d dyed and cut her hair. It was more of a trim, since it wasn’t very long to begin with. She stood in front of the mirror, playing with her bangs, which were now cut straight across and colored a deep brown. Practically a new person. She was to go south by train, to the New York base and god was she nervous.

The drive to the station was quiet, neither her mother or Matisse wanting to say goodbye just yet. On the platform, they spent a great deal of time hugging one another, stalling the inevitable, until the very last call.

She continued to stare out of the window in the door as it closed, hands gripping her suitcase tightly, more nervous than ever as she watched her parents wave when the train began to move. Once they were out of view, she finally made her way to her seat. She managed to find a window seat beside a quiet, elderly woman, who kindly allowed her to sit beside her.

“So where are you off to, dear?” She asked, looking up from her crossword puzzle.

“I’m um… Going down to New York. Joining the military, kind of. If you can really call it that,”

“Oh? That’s wonderful, my grandson was in the military, but he’s moved on to bigger things,” She said fondly.

Their conversation quickly dissolved, both going back to their own activities, the woman with her crossword, and Charlie with the window, watching the scenery pass before going underground, signalling their journey across the river.

The ride seemed much longer than it truly was. Once getting off the train, she’d learned that several people on the train had been recruits, a shuttle having been waiting for them outside the station. They all seemed to have known each other, since they were all talking, loud and familiar.

The trip to the base was just like the train ride, she sat staring out the window, listening to snippets of everyone’s conversations. Much of her time from then on was spent this way, quiet and ever listening. She did have Hikaru, even if it was only for a short time, she’d been transferred out to the west coast a few months after Charlie had arrived. They lost touch after that.

Despite her best attempts, she spent much of her training time alone, friend groups all having formed prior to the Canadian recruit’s arrival. It was like high school. 

Charlotte always hated high school.


	5. II - The Magician

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At long last, something slightly canon. Well. Someone.

> **II - The Magician**  
>  Power, skill, concentration, action, resourcefulness

Group training sessions were always fun. Everyone got to partner up and spar with each other, testing your strengths and learning each other’s weaknesses in order to help your team in the field.

So long as there was an equal number of recruits and you had friends.

If not, you got to sit on the sidelines and watch until someone either got hurt or tired. It was kind of the norm at that point, having been a year since she was fully instated into the program. Charlie didn’t mind so much, it gave her time to think on the week’s events.

Today was like any other, she sat on a tall stack of wrestling mats, kicking her feet and writing in a notebook. She’d overheard some pretty intense gossip on the way and wanted to keep track of it. You know, just in case. She glanced up when the instructor barked out an order, directed at a pair of boys, who appeared to be messing around rather than training. She scanned the gym once again, not much had changed since the last time, some were lifting weights, some were having their turn sparring, some were standing around talking.

Charlie hummed and went back to her notebook, deciding that doodling was a better use of her time than writing the rest of the information. Her mind wandered for material, ultimately ending up on her favorite topic. Strike Commander Morrison. Morrison with his chiselled jaw, his sharp but warm eyes, thin lips. She wished she had a colored pen so she could color in his eyes. She was so entranced in her drawing of Morrison that she didn’t notice the heavy door to the gym creak open and slam shut. She also didn’t notice the heavy footsteps ever so slowly wandering their way over. She did, however, feel the slight shift of the mats as a heavy body leaned against them, arms and ankles crossed as he made himself comfortable.

The recruit looked to the side, studying the hooded figure briefly before going back to her notebook, adjusting just enough to block his view. He was big, biceps bulging under his hoodie. She risked glancing at him again, gaze locking onto the emblem on his shoulder. What seemed like a cow skull with a sword in the center. Interesting. She reverted to her previous position when the man turned his head to look at her.

“Why aren’t you out there?”

“Uneven number of people. Officer Sanchez is very picky about having uneven groups,”

“And that doesn’t bother you?”

Charlotte shrugs, running the pads of her fingers along her notes.

“Not really. Never really liked training with any of them, I always preferred to watch,”

“And take notes?” She could hear his slight smirk in his voice, which made her finally look at him, surprised to find it was Reyes beside her. His smirk widened when he leaned in and took a peek, noticing the doodle.

“Yes, I-I mean, no. This is for something else,” She quickly shut the book, straightening her posture and biting her lip. He saw the drawing and now he was going to go tell the strike commander about the sad little loner girl who spent training time drawing pictures of him and she was going to get kicked out and she was going to have to go home and then mother was going to be disappointed and-

Her panicked thoughts were cut short as Reyes hoisted himself onto the mats alongside her.

“Mind if I ask what they’re for? There seemed to be a lot in there,” He huffed as he brought one leg up, tucking it under one thick thigh. Shit. Was being that hot a requirement for joining Overwatch? Or was it just a coincidence that everyone she’d met was just so…

“Just writing down some things I heard. Rumors, gossip… That kind of stuff,” 

“Oh really,” Gabriel hummed, leaning back and propping himself with one arm, the other draped over his leg. “What kinda dirt do you have? Anything useful?”

“Nothing you could really find a use for, it’s all small stuff. Who kissed who, who drank too much and did what at the last big party. Stuff like that,” Her fingers idly played with the edges of her notebook, slipping between the pages every few passes. “Hm… There may be one thing…” She opened her book to an earlier page, from about 3 months ago. “I saw one of the older recruits getting a little too friendly with one of the instructors. I’m not really sure if she’s getting anything out of it, but I thought you should know,” She folded the cover back and handed it over to the commander. The page contained a bit of information on both the student and the instructor, details of the encounter, even a few repeated encounters that had happened at later dates and in similar fashions.

She watched closely as his eyes scanned the page, face blank. Charlie shifted nervously and turned her attention back to the center of the room, where a new pair had begun to spar and wrestle. Even after a year, their form was sloppy. They would easily get hurt if they were really fighting, and apparently Officer Sanchez thought so too, given his barking.

“What’s your name, recruit?” Gabriel asked, closing the notebook and handing it back.

“Charlotte Landry, sir,”

“Alright, Landry. How about you look into this for me? Get me as much information as possible, about the two of them, if the recruit’s getting anything out of it. The whole thing,”

“Wh- what? Why me?”

“Well you’ve already got a good start, you know these people better than I do,” _I also have better things to do_ was what his tone told her. “I’ll be here for about a week, so I expect results before I leave,”

“A week? You… want this all in a week?”

“What? Can’t do it?” Reyes asked, brows raised, but expression unimpressed.

“I never said that,” Charlotte huffs. “I’ll do it. You’ll have your information before you leave,”

“Good,” His face morphed into something smug as he leaned back, propping himself up with his arms. _Did he just… Did he just trick me? Damn he’s good._

The pair sat quietly for about 10 minutes, idly commenting on the recruit’s form, before something finally occurred to her.

“Hey commander?”

“Mmm?”

“Why are you here?”

Gabe looked at her with a raised brow before shrugging and looking back.

“Hm… Field trip?”

“Field… trip?” She asked, voice dripping with confusion.

“Mmhm. Field trip,”

“Um… Okay,” She stared a little longer before her attention was drawn to the large door on the other side of the gym, which had swung open. In walked none other than her idol and the object of her affections. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Gabriel glanced at her with a raised brow before following her line of sight. The blonde scanned the room briefly before lifting a hand and waving his friend over.

“Oh, yeah, he’s here too. Don’t worry, I won’t mention your little drawings,” Gabe said with a snicker as he slid off the mats, feet thunking heavy and loud on the hardwood flooring. “Remember, end of the week.” And with that, he was gone as fast as he came. That wouldn’t have been a problem if she’d known where to find him at the end of the week.

Despite that, she did as instructed and dug. And dug. And dug some more.

She compiled her findings into a neat yellow envelope and set off to find the man. She started by asking her own instructors, who turned her toward someone slightly higher up, who turned her to someone’s secretary, who in turn pointed her to another secretary. About 2 hours of wandering from one end of the base to another, she finally got her answer and made her way to a slightly out of the way office. She stood silently outside of the door, nervously fiddling with the packet in her hands. Finally she took a deep breath and knocked.

She heard a loud thump, followed by swearing, another thump, and a low, hardy laugh. 

“Come in,” The laughing voice beckoned. The door creaked open and she was greeted by the view of Reyes at the desk, a wide grin spread across his lips and feet propped up. She glanced over to the other man, Morrison, who was standing with crossed arms at the window. She took a step in, gaze still on the blonde, and shut the door behind her.

“I have the information you asked for, commander,” She stated absently, attention still drawn to the flushed, messy haired blond in the corner. It was so obvious what had been happening, but she refused to believe it.

“You’re asking the recruits to gather intel for you? Really Gabe?” Jack turned, frowning slightly, his attention flipping between the two.

“No, sir, it was something I brought to him, he just…” She trailed off, stomach fluttering as that intense gaze bored into her. “He just wanted to know more,”

“I see…” Jack’s tongue darted out to wet his lips, the two others swallowing thickly, watching closely as he ran his hand through his hair, a feeble attempt to fix it. “I’ll see you tonight, Gabriel. I have… work to do,” And with that, he all but rushed out of the room.

Once the door clicked shut, Charlotte let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding, placing a hand on her chest and cursing softly.

“Now that we’re done oogling the strike commander, give me a brief overview,”

“Oh, yeah, of course,” Charlie took a step forward, putting the envelope in the man’s outstretched hand. “It seems as if their relationship is genuine. I um… Acquired a copy of the recruit’s evaluation sheets since she’d joined and there aren't any drastic or unusual changes,” She watches as Gabriel opens the envelope and removed the stack of papers. “He also has not been one of her instructors for quite some time now. I also heard from a little birdie that he’s been having some marital issues,” 

“I see,” Reyes stares at the papers, flipping through them briefly before looking up, staring her down instead. “Have a seat, I have a proposition for you,”

Gabe takes his feet off the desk and sits properly in the desk chair, the papers now forgotten in front of him, and waited patiently for the girl to sit.

“You’re a smart girl. Obviously very sharp, resourceful. You can follow orders, and I like that. Have you heard of Blackwatch?”

“Only vague rumors, _very_ vague,”

“And what did those rumors say?”

“They do Overwatch’s dirty work, among other things,”

“Huh… Accurate…” Gabe leaned forward, putting an elbow on the desk and propping his head up with a hand. “I’d very much like to recruit you. I’m sure you’d do great things here, but your particular… skill set would better suit us. You’d be stifled here, and I want to see you grow,” 

“What would you have me do? _If_ I agree?”

“Infiltration, recon, gathering information. Nothing too hard. Until you can expand your skills, that is,”

“I see,” Charlie held her hands together in her lap and turned her attention toward the window. It was cloudy today, and was probably going to rain. She wasn’t aware of how long she’d been quiet until Gabriel softly called her name. “When do we leave, sir?”

“Tomorrow morning. We’re due back at the base in the evening,” The recruit nodded and began to stand. “Hey, Charlotte?” She looked up, brow raised. “Welcome to the family,”


	6. V - The Emperor

> **V - The Emperor**  
>  Authority, father-figure, structure, solid foundation

Gabriel was… A bit of a hardass. That much was true, and anyone would agree. He had a method and he expected you to follow it, which was fine, but could easily put a strain on one’s patience. She adored him all the same, however. He didn’t hold her hand during training sessions, like her previous instructors. He knew them, what they could do. Exactly what they were capable of.

He held the punching bag in place while we punched it, letting out quiet huffs as it moved ever so slightly.

“You can hit harder than that, come on!” He would chide, ever present smirk on his lips. We always fell for it, and started to punch harder, but not necessarily angrier.

“Good work out there,”

“Thanks dad,” Some would chime, others would laugh. Gabriel would just roll his eyes and wipe his sweat away with the towel around his neck.

“Sir?” Charlotte asked softly, toward the end of the leaving group. “I was wondering…” He raised a brow and leaned against the nearest wall. “Could you teach me to use a shotgun? Properly?” She’d seen him fight, he was absolutely terrifying. It was inspiring to say the least.

Reyes tilted his head in confusion. “You sure, kiddo? They’re pretty heavy,” She frowned, groaning in displeasure.

“Why would I ask if I wasn’t sure?”

“I’m just messing with you, mi mirlo,” He said with a laugh, pushing off the wall and patting her on the back. “Come on, may as well start now, right?”

Jack sat in on training sessions often, and occasionally joined them. It was… odd, but she wasn’t complaining. Being able to, more or less, show off to her (absolutely gorgeous) commanders was always fun. Sadly it was extremely difficult to show off to a pair of super soldiers, one who’s like a mother duck quacking at you for putting too much weight on the bar, and the other who only really had eyes for his best friend.

Jack was a good contrast to Gabriel, they complimented one another perfectly. Jack tried too hard to be the kind, sweet, perfect one. One always willing to compromise, one always eager to please.

That smile was so bright, like the sun. _He_ was like the sun. And god did she love sunlight.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by that very ball of light, as he plopped down on the floor beside her with a grunt. He flashed a smile, and she averted her gaze as quickly as she could, turning it to the floor. Her hair had grown longer, and was now long enough to easily hide her face, or at least her eyes, as she often did.

“You feeling okay? You’ve been sitting over here the whole time,” Jack asked as he shifted to cross his legs, gym shorts riding up slightly.

“I’m fine, just not… ‘m not all here today, I guess,” Jack made a concerned sound next to her that made her stomach flutter, causing her to draw her knees to her chest.

“Is everything okay? Do you need to talk?” He leaned forward, trying to peek around the curtain of dark brown hair.

“No, no, don’t worry about me. It’s nothing, really!” She quickly turned her head, flashing a smile, hoping it would stop his pressing. He was the strike commander, far out of her league. There was no chance to get closer than this. She wasn’t Icarus, she didn’t want to risk flying too close.

“Morrison!” The golden boy’s attention turned to Gabriel immediately, as if he was trained to do so. “Come spot me,” Reyes jerked his head toward the weight bench beside him, heavy metal discs already stacked up.

While Jack was the sun, Gabriel… Gabriel was like the moon, both soft and sharp. Quietly elegant and ever changing. Gorgeous. You could look as long as you wanted and still couldn’t get enough.

“Be there in a second!” Jack called back before looking back at her. “If you need to talk, you know where my office is,”

“Th-thank you, sir,”

Jack only replied with a chuckle before he shifted to his knees, preparing to stand. Though, before he did, he reached out, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear.

“You don’t need to hide your pretty face, you know,”

And with that, he was up and gone, leaving her stunned and her heart pounding at her ribcage.

She didn’t quite see Gabriel practically chastising him when he arrives.

_You shouldn’t toy with her like that._

From that day on, she always tied her hair back.


	7. VII - The Lovers

> **VII - The Lovers**  
>  Love, union, relationships, values alignment, choices

“Hey you,” A loud, accented voice called out, smile clearly audible through the quiet whistling of the breeze.

With a raised brow, the girl turned her head, now face to face with a gaudy belt buckle. 

“M’ eyes are up here, little missy,” Jesse chuckled and lowered his hand, a steaming bowl of stew coming into view. “You missed dinner, so I brought you some,”

“Little missy…? I’m older than you...” She murmured, gaze turning even higher to look at the cowboy, who immediately moved to sit beside her on the roof’s ledge. He set the steaming bowl between them and proceeded to reach into his pocket and retrieve a flask. “You’re not old enough to drink.”

“I am here,” He stated matter-of-factly. McCree had gotten even more smug since he’d turned 18, testing his boundaries anywhere he could. Well, he’d been testing them since he’d arrived, but he was now more than ever. He unscrewed the lid and took a swig, cringing slightly at the burn as he swallowed. 

“Hm… I suppose you are.” Charlotte hummed, reaching down for the bowl. “Thank you for bringing dinner, McCree.”

“Why’re ya bein’ so formal? We’re friends, right?” 

She sat silently for a moment, staring down at the bowl in her lap, a smile creeping onto her face.”Yeah, I guess we are.” The pair sat in silence atop the comm building, him sipping the burning liquid and her eating the warm stew, both staring up at the stars and enjoying the silence, accented by chirping crickets. 

“Why’re you always up here, anyway?” Jesse asked, turning to look up as Charlie set the bowl down to her right, laying back to join the lounging cowboy.

“I like it. It’s quiet and the view is nice. No one really comes up here,”

“Don’tcha get lonely? Why not bring someone with ya?”

“Yes, let me just call one of my numerous friends,” She scoffed and rolled her eyes, sweeping her arm out in front of her, attempting to accentuate her point.

“Alright, alright, no need to sass me,” McCree sighed and folded his hands over his stomach, eyes tracing the various constellations above them. “Do you _want_ company?”

Charlotte didn’t answer right away. Despite already knowing the answer, screaming it in her head, she pretended to think on it. Since she’d gotten here, many had decided to avoid her. She’d caught some even calling her “Reyes’ new pet project”. It was strange, to say the least. People couldn’t seem to go on without something to hate, and it seemed as if she was the newest punching bag. 

Apparently she’d been silent for too long, because McCree turned onto his side and began to stare with a raised brow and his head propped up in his hand. “Well?”

“I do. I really do,” She said, voice wavering slightly, the wide grin on his face catching her off guard.

Their evenings on the comm tower’s rooftop became routine after that, a routine which lasted several years and occasionally included a certain cyborg, though that was rare due to Genji and Charlie’s constant butting of heads. Jesse found it funny, the constant, unwarranted and unnecessary bickering, the mild battles for his affections. Of course he found it funny. He found the silliest things funny. 

Like the stars.

The pair had been laying on the roof, passing Jesse’s flask back and forth, enjoying the warmth of the amber liquid. Jesse raised an arm and traced out a seemingly random set of stars.

“‘N that’s a dick. Who knew there was a giant dick in the sky?” He said with a hearty laugh, goofy words slightly slurred.

“Huh?” Charlotte raised a brow and squinted. “What are you talking about? I don’t see it.” 

“How could you not? It’s huge!” He thrust his finger out again, with more force, as if that would make her see it.

“Nn… No, I still don’t see it.” She tilted her head slightly, trying a new angle.

“Wha- c’mere. Maybe it’s cus you’re all the way over there.” 

In Jesse’s mind, _all the way over there_ apparently meant half a foot away. He tugged her closer, outstretching an arm for her to use as a pillow to get closer and continued to point with his other one. Charlotte took his offer and moved closer, head resting on his arm and sides touching. She still couldn’t really see it so she cuddled closer, resting her head half on his chest.

“Oh, there it is, I see now.”

“Told ya! Why would I lie about somethin’ like that?” McCree chuckled, wrapping his arm around his friend’s shoulder and pulling her closer. The girl looks up in time to catch the bright eyed boy turning his attention to her. His brow quirked up, which paired nicely with the smirk plastered on his face. “Hey there,”

Charlotte’s face heated up as she forced her body upward, sitting straight as a board. It didn’t take long for her to relax, the boy sitting up with her, hand rubbing gentle circles into her back.

“Awful jumpy today, ain’tcha?” 

“It’s… just the alcohol,”

“C’mon Char, you’re a better liar than that. It’s what you _do_ for a living,” He took hold of the flask and brought it to his lips, staring out at the ocean and pretending not to feel the woman’s gaze on him. “And I’ve been drinkin’ with ya long enough to know that’s _not_ what bourbon does to ya,”

She stays quiet, knowing his words are true, and just stares out at the water, brilliantly glittering in the bright moonlight. The crickets were just as lively as ever that night, eager to find a mate and continue the cycle. Her eyes trained to a small fishing boat parked in the middle of the water.

“The view is so beautiful…” She sighed, hands moving down to grip the edge of the roof. Her body jerked in surprise when a warm hand moved up to tuck her long, dark hair behind her ear.

“Yeah, it is,” Her attention quickly shifted to the cowboy, eyes wide and face bright red. “Real beautiful,” 

They sat in relative silence, his warm hand moving to cup a cheek, thumb stroking the skin softly. Eyes slowly slid shut as the pair leaned in closer, lips brushing and breath mingling. It was her that pressed forward, silently telling him that she did indeed want this. It started slow, soft, like the moonlight; but when a tongue brushed against his lips, asking, begging, it became desperate, passionate, like the crickets.

He tasted of caramel that night.

This became the new norm for them after that, drunken makeout sessions when they could fit it in. It didn’t take long for them to fall into bed together, and eventually they just forewent the alcohol altogether, preferring to remember their tumbles the next morning.

Not many could honestly say they were in love with their best friend, but Charlie could. They never really went anywhere with their… relationship, yes they loved each other, but their line of work was uncertain. Jesse didn’t want to risk becoming too… attached should something happen. A bit too late for that, if he’d asked her. Once it stopped being casual, it was already too late.

This latest development caused Genji to cling to Jesse more than normal. Quite literally. Jesse always told her not to worry, he just wanted a friend. That wouldn’t have been a big deal if she hadn’t noticed fresh marks at his throat. She didn’t leave those marks.

She knew that look, the look Genji gave him. The look Genji gave _her_. Possession.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, next chapter is gonna earn the fic its rating. Also, Every sex scene is gonna be labeled the same way, basically.


	8. XVI - The Devil (pt.1)

> **XVI - The Devil**  
>  Bondage, addiction, sexuality, materialism

That night Charlotte took Jesse back to her bunk and pushed him back onto her bed, licking her lips as she rid herself of her jacket. She was quick to straddle him, capturing his mouth and nibbling on his lip. Jesse let out a low groan and gripped her hips, thumbs digging into her hip bones.

“Char, fuck, babe… Slow d-down,” Jesse’s back arched when she ground against his rapidly hardening cock. “What’s gotten into you, darlin?” She didn’t answer, only sat up and yanked off her shirt, the tight black fabric catching briefly on her head. She tossed it onto the floor and began to tug at his shirt. He tried to sit up, but was pressed back down by her chest, her lips attaching to his neck with a soft moan. “Babe… Babe, babe, stop for a sec- ahhh,” His still gloved hands slid up her sides before gripping her shoulders and pulling her off. “Charlie, stop for a damn second… What’s gotten into you? You’re acting weird,”

Charlotte huffed and turned her face away, sitting back up, but still grinding her hips. Jesse didn’t press any farther, letting her do what she wanted despite his worry. His hands slid higher and behind her back, fiddling clumsily with the hooks of her bra before they finally gave way, allowing her to shed yet another article of clothing. The bra was tossed across the room, falling to the floor with a dull thump. Charlotte leaned forward, putting a hand on either side of the man’s head. Jesse’s hands slid forward to cup her breasts, kneading them slowly and running leather covered thumbs along her hardened nipples, eliciting a sigh from her.

“Take those off. Feels weird,” She muttered, scooting back to sit in his lap, hands now going to work on that gaudy buckle. It was quickly opened and yanked out, along with his belt, and tossed to the floor. Jesse obeyed the command and quickly rid his hands of the leather, now placing his bare hands on her hips and sliding them back, fingers slipping under the fabric of her pants.

Layer after layer were shed until they were completely naked, Charlotte now on her back, watching as Jesse ripped a foil packet open with his teeth, one hand busy pumping fingers into her tight heat.

“Hurry uuup,” She whined, back arching off the bed as Jesse’s fingers crooked inside of her. “Fuck me, already,”

“Be patient, kitten, a little foreplay won’t kill ya. My cock’s not goin’ anywhere,” He said with a grin, thoroughly enjoying the woman’s writhing. Charlotte groaned and turned her face away, moving her hips in time with his fingers. “It’ll be all the better once you’re soaked and I can slide all the way in right away,” Jesse set the opened packet aside and bent down, hungrily capturing her lips. They kept like this for what seemed like ages until Jesse pulled back and reached for the packet once more. As he began to roll the rubber down his shaft, Charlotte reached down and placed a hand on his.

“You… don’t have to…” She said softly, face flushed as her gaze flickered between his face and his cock.

“I’m not gonna risk it, pumpkin,” Jesse grunted, sliding the condom on completely. “We can’t bring a kid into a life like this, no matter how much I wanna fill you up,” 

The thought alone sent shocks down his spine, cock twitching as he pulled his fingers out and immediately replaced them with his cock. The couple moaned softly as he bottomed out.

“See? What’d I tell ya?” Tongue darted out to wet dry lips. “So fucking good,”

They began slow, Jesse lazily rubbing her clit while he watched himself slide in from tip to base, filling her over and over until she was a begging mess, pleading for him to go faster, harder, anything. He wanted to, oh god he wanted to, but he wanted to make her beg. He wanted to hear more. So he slowed down, ever so slightly.

“Hhuuh?” She stared up at him, confusion plastered all over her face. “Why’d you…?”

“Beg for me, sweetheart,” Jesse started, “Beg for my cock,” All he got was a pathetic whine. “Come on, you can do better than that. Beg for it,”

“Please?” She whined, brows knitted together as she tried to move her hips, though his hands pinned her hips to the bed. “Jesse _please_ , stop teasing!”

“Since you asked so nicely,” Jesse practically purred, leaning down to capture her mouth once he finally sped up.

It wasn’t long until Jesse was pounding into her, both crying out in pleasure, even once he slid his arms around her waist and hoisted her up into his lap. Charlotte shivered and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his neck, kissing and sucking on the soft, though slightly prickly skin, leaving a mark.

“I hate… the way he looks at you,” She groaned into his ear.

“Wha?” He asked; hazy, confused. “What’re you talkin’ about?”

“Genji… I hate how he looks at you,” She repeats. “He… He looks at you like he-ahh! Like he _owns_ you,”

Jesse bit his lip, trying not to laugh. He tightened his grip on her and fucked into her harder than before, back against the wall and feet planted on the bed.

“D-darlin’, there’s- fuck… no reason to be jealous,” He groaned, reaching one hand down between them, rubbing his lover’s clit slowly. “We already agreed this wasn’t gonna be exclusive, right? H-he just wanted some- god you’re tight...”

“Jess… Lay back down,”

It took him a moment to respond, but once he did, she roughly held him down into the mattress, hands on his chest, and rode him hard and fast. They kept at it for what seemed like ages, fucking hard and fast until one of them came, then the other used their mouth and hands to get them off, and let them rest until they were ready for another round, until finally they lay completely exhausted.

Charlotte groaned and nuzzled her face into Jesse’s chest, legs sore and cunt throbbing from the last few hours. Jesse let out a content sigh and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.

“You ain’t gotta be jealous of him, sweetheart. We’re just friends having a little fun, it don’t mean nothin’,”

“If you say so…”

From that day, Charlie and Genji had something of an… unspoken rivalry. They’d leave marks on Jesse for the other to find, and would look at the other with some sort of smug satisfaction on their face, while the other just glared and waited on their turn.

“What the hell is goin’ on with you two?” Jesse asked, the next time the three of them were alone.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Genji hummed, glancing over at Charlotte.

“What do you mean, Jesse?” Charlotte raised a brow, feigning ignorance, crossing her legs and leaning back in the kitchen chair she’d been sat in.

“You two are markin’ me like a leper, that’s what I’m talkin’ about. Then you’re lookin at each other weird, don’t think I don’t notice,”

Genji let out a quiet laugh.

“That’s what this is about? Oh Jesse,” Genji stood from the chair _he_ had been sat in and stepped toward the cowboy, placing a hand on his chest. “You’re just so pretty, all marked up like that…” He pressed closer, hand sliding up to tug at his collar, revealing a particularly fresh patch of marks, one that was only a few hours old. “I guess she knows it too,”

Charlotte glanced between the two, one who’d buried his face into her lover’s neck, and the other whose eyes slid shut.

“He’s not wrong,”


	9. XXII - The World

> **\-- XXII - The World --**  
>  Completion, integration, accomplishment, travel

This had been the first year she’d been convinced to go to one of Overwatch’s little Christmas parties. Well, it was far from little, if Reinhardt had anything to say about it. And he always did.

Jesse’s pleading didn’t surprise her, nor little Fareeha’s. Even Gabriel’s _come on kid, have a little fun_ wasn’t much of a surprise. These were things that happened every year that she’d had to stay on base.

It was Genji’s reluctant _it wouldn’t be as much fun without you, I guess_ and nearly instant backtracking that made up her mind. Though she wouldn’t admit it.

And that’s how she found herself here, on Christmas Eve, standing in the snow outside the building they were using for the party. It was the only one large enough, and empty enough, to hold everyone that had been sucked in by Reinhardt’s grin, or Ana’s subtle manipulations. Charlotte buried her face deeper into her scarf and looked back, debating on going back to her bunk to spend another Christmas alone, rather than deal with a bunch of loud drunks.

A bunch of loud drunks that she loved dearly.

She could already hear them through the door, and with one final breath, she opened the door and took a step in. Almost immediately, she heard the loud, booming call that could only belong to one man.

“Charlotte! What a pleasant surprise!” The gigantic man called from across the room before almost literally shoving his way through the sea of people to scoop her up into a bruising hug. “I’m so glad you came! We knew something was missing, and here you are!”

“H-Hello to you too, Reinhardt,” Charlie choked out, a strained grin on her face as she attempted to pat him on the back. “Can… Can you put me down? You’re hurting me,”

He let out a loud laugh as he set her back down, a large hand coming down on her shoulder as he gestured toward a table off to the side.

“Help yourself to whatever you’d like, I made the eggnog myself,”

“Of course you did, Rein,” Charlie said with a chuckle and a shake of her head. “Thank you, I’ll have some. Go, go have fun,”

“Come, we will get you a drink and you’ll join us!” And of course he didn’t listen. Charlie sighed and smiled up at him as he ushered her toward the drink table, where he poured her a large mug of the eggnog he’d allegedly made. She took one sip and immediately believed him, it… burned going down.

“Just how much alcohol did you _use_?” She asked, cringing up at him. But, in a very Reinhardt manner, he only laughed and ushered her toward the group he’d previously been a part of. 

“Well I’ll be damned,” Piped a low, almost gravelly voice. The ray of sunshine it belonged to grinned up at them from his seat. 

“Look who decided to show up,” Her other commander spoke next. “You done hiding yourself away?”

“Gabriel,” Ana said, tone a low warning. She quickly turned her attention to the agent, graceful smile on her lips. “I’m glad you decided to join us,”

Charlie smiled back, warmth spreading from her chest. She scanned the group for her beloved cowboy, but found him off to the side, getting cozy on a couch with Genji, who was devoid of his mask. A rare occurrence. He was smiling, bright and contagious. The cyborg’s attention flickered to her for a moment.

His expression, already soft and warm, seemed to soften further as he nodded her over.

“I um…” She started once she’d turned her attention back to the bulk of the group. “I’m gonna uh…” Awkward hands raised to point at the couple, attempting to convey her message.

“So soon? But you just got here,” Jack sighed. Something about it made her heart flutter, almost uncomfortably.

She just shrugged nervously as she began to slink away, mug gripped tightly in her hands.

“Hey you,” Jesse called, pulling her in by her waist once she was within reach, kissing the side of her head.

“Merry Christmas, boys,”

“Merry Christmas,” Genji replied, pulling away from Jesse, moving back to sit on the couch itself as opposed to his lover’s lap. “I um… _May_ have gotten you two something,” 

Charlotte and Jesse looked at one another, confused. They never agreed to a gift exchange. Charlie reached up to rub the back of her neck, feeling sheepish at this point. They never liked each other, and yet he bought her a gift?

“It’s… not much, but I’m sure you can find a use for it,” Genji mumbled, producing a pair of decorative, foil bags and handing one to either of them, eyes looking elsewhere until both of them had taken their gifts.

Jesse opened his first, after exchanging another glance with Charlotte. Inside was a bottle of, very expensive and very good, gun cleaner, and what looked like a handmade scarf.

“I know how much you care for that gun of yours,” The cyborg started, rubbing his hands together nervously. “And you never wear a scarf. I get worried you’ll get sick. It gets quite cold here,”

“Oh darlin’,” Jesse smiled warmly at him, pulling Genji into a soft kiss. “Thank you, I love it,”

Overcome with curiosity, she opened her bag, reaching in. The first thing she pulled out was a beautiful, intricate cherry blossom hair comb. She looked up at Genji, wide eyed and stunned, but he refused to look at her, face a similar color to the comb. She peered into the bag again, seeing what looked to be another scarf, also hand made.

“Genji…” When he looked up, she was kneeling in front of him, comb in hand. “Will you help me put it on?”

He nodded and waited for her to untie her ponytail, brushing her fingers through the now waist length hair. He twirled his finger, silently telling her to turn around, which she did, sitting back on her heels. Her eyes slipped shut once she felt his fingers begin to twist and move her hair into a bun, pinning it in place with the comb.

“This mean you’re gonna get along from now on?” Jesse asked, smugness clear in his voice. Charlie chuckled at the huff she heard come from Genji.

“Don’t push your luck, Jesse,” She said, turning back to Genji. “It’s beautiful. I love it,”

“Good,” He huffed, which only made the woman grin. 

The remainder of the night was filled with laughter and merriment. Fareeha demanded several piggyback rides, starting from Gabriel to Jesse, and finally Reinhardt, whose shoulders she chose to perch upon for nearly an hour until she’d begun to nod off. She and her mother were the first to retire, around 11pm, despite Fareeha’s sleepy whines. Torbjorn and his family were the next to go, his own children getting quite tired.

The alcohol was beginning to make Charlotte sleepy, though she stayed with the group, watching as they laughed and swapped stories of their travels over the past year, her head laid against her commander’s knee, since Jesse’s lap was occupied by the cyborg. Gabriel didn’t seem to mind, even petting her head.

This was… nice. Being surrounded by loved ones. Her eyes slid shut, nuzzling into the soft flesh of Gabe’s thigh and letting out a content sigh.

“You gettin’ tired, kiddo?” He asked. She hummed and nodded.

“Yeah… I don’t wanna go anywhere though,” 

“You sure?”

“Mmhm. Being with family is… Nice,”

She didn’t see his eyes widen briefly, then his expression soften. Or that he looked around the group and nodded.

“Family, huh?” 

_Yeah…_ He thought fondly. Family…


	10. XIII- Hanged Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is brief and a smidge rushed seeing as the last chapter was so happy and stuff, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. This one would be quite some time after the last. (Well spaced and accurate timeline? What's that?) 
> 
> (Update 1/25) I rewrote a little bit of this chapter to hopefully give it a tiny bit more depth? Hopefully it worked in fleshing it out a bit.

> **\-- XIII - Hanged Man --**  
>  Suspension, restriction, letting go, sacrifice

Over the years, Gabriel seemed to slowly fall apart. It was hard to notice at first, but became so obvious after Ana… After she died.

He was just so angry. His rationality very nearly disappeared.

Jesse couldn’t handle it any longer and left without a word, not to Gabriel, not Genji, and not Charlie. It was so hard without him, and over the next few months, Charlotte just… shut back down.

Her missions had become increasingly stressful. In the past, she was always sent on honeypots and infiltration, collecting data. What she knew like the back of her hand, what she could handle. Though as Gabriel’s demeanor changed, so did her missions. Simple interrogations at first, then torture, but never farther than that… until her final mission. Her last mission had been the final straw. A honeypot mission, though he hadn’t told her the true objective until the target was in sight. She was to kill him once the information was in her hands and wiped from his computer. She argued. He raised his voice. 

“Do it or you _will_ regret it,”

“But sir-”

“That’s an order, agent,”

She didn’t dare question, or even think about what he could possibly have done. Not with that tone. So she went through with it. She’d fucked the man and killed him in his sleep, placing a pillow over his face until he stopped struggling. Her skin crawled incessantly the entire way back to the base, and then some.

It had only been a few days until she found herself in Gabriel’s office, frowning and staring at the floor.

“If you’re just going to stand there, get out. I’m busy,” He spat, cold.

“I… I can’t do this anymore,”

“Excuse me?”

Charlotte‘s face shot up, staring him dead in the eye.

“You’re tearing yourself apart, Gabriel. Don’t you see that?” She took a step forward and planted her hands on the desk. “You _never_ leave out details of missions, you don’t _lie_ , you don’t _threaten_ your agents, your family...” Her vision began to blur, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. “I can’t… I can’t keep working for you if you’re going to keep doing this, Gabriel,”

“If you have a problem with how I run _my_ operation, then leave. You’re _not_ my family,”

The venom in his voice speared her through the chest, shattering her already breaking heart. Everything seemed to blur together in the next moment, she’d made her way to the other side of his desk and placed a hand on his cheek, tears spilling from her eyes.

“Please take care of yourself, Gabriel…” With one final kiss, soft and warm against his tightly drawn lips, she turned to leave, holding back her pathetic sobs as an ice cold stare watched her back.


	11. XVII - The Tower

> **\-- XVII - The Tower --**  
>  Disaster, upheaval, sudden change, revelation

The house was silent, aside from the faint clinking of dishes and the news, playing quietly in the background. She wasn’t paying too much attention to it, it was mostly to keep her company while mother did routine maintenance on dad in the garage.

Charlotte had been staying with them since she left Blackwatch, finally unable to handle any more of the horrible things Gabriel had her doing, on top of Jesse leaving a few months prior. He was the only one really making it bearable for her. The first thing she did after coming home was cut off that deep brown hair and allowed it to grow back out into that dirty blonde no one had seen in years. It was... Refreshing. Like a new start.

She sighed and stared into the foamy water, gripping the mug and sponge in each hand a little too tight. It had been too long since she’d had a decent night’s sleep and it was starting to wear her down. She couldn’t stop worrying, remembering how she’d left Gabe. He’d been so… angry. And with tensions rising, who knows how everyone was holding up.

“... Overwatch’s Swiss base…”

Her attention was turned toward the news playing on the screen a few feet away, the mere mention of the organization never failing to grab her attention, even after everything. She turns, still idly scrubbing at the mug when she freezes, ceramic dropping from her hands and shattering on the tile floor.

“... was subject of a catastrophic explosion earlier today, trapping everyone inside. Currently, those currently not accounted for include the strike commander, Jack Morrison, Commander Gabriel Reyes, Sergeant…” Charlotte could hear nothing but a loud ringing. 

Her knees began to buckle under her own weight, quickly falling to her knees and into the pile of shattered ceramic. Her face morphed into horror as she crawled closer to the screen, images of the destroyed building flashing across her vision. Her shaking, now bloodied hand raised to touch the images, smearing them with blood.

An image of the commanders was brought onto the screen, and there was nothing she could do to hold in the bloodcurdling scream, which quickly devolved into loud wailing. She didn’t hear the slammed garage door or the two pairs of feet running to her side, one dropping to their knees and taking her into warm, slightly greased arms. 

Nicolette held her daughter’s head to her chest, staring in horror at the screen.

“Oh mon ange… I’m so sorry,” She whispered into her hair, the cries quieting to loud sobbing.

“As of now, rescuers on scene have presumed the commanders dead.” 

With that, the cries returned in full force.


	12. XIV - Death

> **\-- XIV - Death --**  
>  Endings, beginnings, change, transformation, transition

“I’m going on a walk, maman.” Charlotte whispered as she walked out the door, closing it silently behind her. She didn’t actually tell her parents she was going anywhere, just walked out. She’d been doing that more and more often lately. Though this was the first time she’d gone in the middle of the night, leaving her phone and keys behind on her desk. She wasn’t going to need them.

It had been over a year since the explosion, though it was closer to 2 years at that point. The funeral was... Unpleasant. Seeing her old family again... the living ones at least, was heartbreaking under those circumstances.

It was quite cold that night, the forecast was even calling for snow. A particularly strong gust caused her to shiver, burying her head farther into the scarf tightly wound around her neck. Her pace was slow and leisurely, enjoying the rustling of the remaining leaves and the low streetlights beside the sidewalk. She took the long way around to her favorite bridge, one that connected to two halves of the town, even going as far as to go around the block an extra time.

Maybe this was her way of trying to get herself to just… go back home. But she’d made up her mind. She couldn’t let herself go on with the things she’d done.

Her bare hand slowly slid along the frigid metal railing as she made her way to the middle of the bridge, dim streetlamps lighting the way. She leaned over it briefly, watching the still flowing river under it. She took a deep breath as she put a foot onto the lowest support bar, still staring down.

“Is there any way I can convince you not to do this?” A low, distorted voice asked. Her body jerked in surprise, her head whipping toward the source of the voice, a… floating omnic, with folded hands in his lap and a tilted head. “I know not what has brought you to this conclusion, but it isn’t the only solution, your life is valuable,”

She stood stock still, stunned by the compassion of this complete stranger.

Why? 

Why would he stop her?

After all that’s happened, why would anyone stop her?

“Will you allow me to hear your story?”

She merely stared with widened eyes, her foot dropping back to the ground, legs feeling weaker and weaker by the second, until she finally collapsed under her own weight.

The omnic slowly glided closer, until he was mere inches away. She watched as a hand was extended.

Then something just… snapped.

Tears she didn’t know were building began to pour down her cheeks as she stared dumbly up at him. His head blocked a street light, simulating a halo.

The instant their hands met, she began to cry out, loud wailing and sobs echoing through the empty streets. The omnic moved closer, holding her closer, running his free hand through her short hair.

They stayed this way for some time, until her knees became sore, and snow began to fall.

“Will you allow me to walk you home?” The monk asked softly, a gentle, but cold, hand moved to cup her cheek. She nodded and he helped her to her feet.

The walk back was slow and quiet, peppered with light, easy questions from the both of them. His name, as she’d learned, was Zenyatta, a travelling monk. He and his student had been travelling the world, attempting to improve human-omnic relations. In return, per his request, she gave her own name, and attempted to briefly summarize her reasoning behind… behind jumping, too tired to give a full synopsis.

“I’ve done awful things…” She would start. “They just keep… replaying in my mind. I can’t stop _feeling_ it,” The woman chomped down on her bottom lip, silencing herself once Zenyatta ran his chilly hand across her back.

“You don’t need to say anything more,”

They approached the front door slowly, staring at the solid wood before Charlie knocked, only for it to swing open immediately, her mother in absolute panic.

“I’ve been calling and calling you!” Nicolette cries, pulling her into a hug.

“Desole, maman… I forgot my phone… I… didn’t expect to be gone so long,”

“You didn’t even tell me you were going out…” She sighed into her daughter’s shoulder. She didn’t even notice the omnic behind her, who was now looking away, toward the road, as if he was attempting to be as unobtrusive as possible. Nicole pulled away, hands holding her daughter’s biceps, attention now pulled to the bot behind her. “Did you bring another ‘friend’ home, dear?”

Zenyatta let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. “I was merely taking her home, but if you will excuse me, I have someone waiting for me.”

Charlotte turned to the bot, a small, sad smile on her lips. If her mother hadn’t had such a tight grip on her, she would have reached out for the hug she so desperately wished to give him.

“Thank you. For everything,”

With that, they each turned to go their separate ways. However, Charlotte hesitated in the doorway once the front door had closed. Her mother had already gone into the living room, but Matisse stopped, noticing the girl.

“Are you alright?”

“Hmm? Oh. Yes. Yeah, I’m fine,” Charlotte offered a smile, but he wasn’t falling for it.

“You want to go after him, don’t you?” He stepped closer and put a hand on her bicep, smile in his distorted voice. “Go on, I’ll keep your mother busy. Don’t be too long though, it’s getting late,”

She nods and turns to bolt back out the door, he couldn’t have gotten far, right? She’s right, he’s only down the street, floating leisurely toward his destination.

“Zenyatta!” She calls, running toward the monk, who turned and tilted his head ever so slightly. He waits patiently for her to catch up and catch her breath. “I want to come with you,” She blurts once she has her breath back.

“Why?”

“You said… You said you helped humans and omnics get along, right? I want to help!”

Zenyatta stared at her, a quiet hum escaping his voice box.

“And… You did kinda… save my life,” She added sheepishly.

“Will you think on it first? You shouldn’t rush off with some stranger with no thought,”

“I… Okay. How long do I have?”

“My student and I are leaving in 3 days, at noon. If you’ve made up your mind to come, we will be waiting for you. If you are late, we will not wait,”

“Where will I find you?”

“Hm…” The monk looks away. “How about where we met?”

“That… works. I guess,” An interesting place to meet, all things considered, but it worked. They both knew where it was, after all. “3 days, the bridge, at noon, got it,”

And with that, they parted ways once again, though the blonde lingered, watching the bot float off, orbs surrounding his neck spinning lazily.

For two days, Charlotte let the idea stew in her head, often spacing out more than normal. On the third night, she sat her parents down.

“Mom, dad… I have something to talk to you about,”

She told them about the monk, the things he told her, but not what he did for her. They never needed to know about it.

“I want to go with him,”

“Okay,”

Charlie looked at her mother, brows raised.

“Okay?”

“Okay. You’re an adult, and I can see you really want it. You’ve been absent the last few days, so I assume you’ve put quite a lot of thought into it,” She watches as her daughter nods, clasping her hands together in her lap. “When are you leaving?”

“Noon… Tomorrow,”

“I see… A bit sooner than I’d like, but if that’s when you need to leave, then so be it,” Nicole stands and moved to hug her daughter, hand holding her head. “Je t’aime, mon ange,”

“Je t’aime aussi, maman,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> note to self, if you spend a little time revising a chapter, it might actually seem well thought out and well written.


	13. XXI - Judgement

> **\-- XXI - Judgement --**  
>  Judgement, rebirth, inner calling, absolution

Charlotte stares into the mirror for a little too long. Takes her time packing her suitcase. Stares at the clock for too long. She hugs her parents goodbye one more time and all but runs out the door.

She nearly doesn’t make it.

She stands at one end of the bridge, watching the floating omnic in the middle, waiting. He looks her direction and waves, and she smiles in return, beginning her journey toward him.

It isn’t until she’d closer that she notices the familiar man behind him, leaning forward against the rails with his head resting in a hand.

“... Genji?” She asks softly. He straightens his posture and steps out from behind his master. She can’t see his face through his less than familiar mask, but she knows the look of surprise that’s behind it.

“Charlotte?”

“I uh… Long time, no see,” 

The walk to the station was short, but felt like an eternity. Seeing Genji… after everything was… awkward. And that was putting it mildly. They’d both slept with, and possibly loved, the same man, they hated one another during their time together, and now they would be travelling together.

“You know each other?”

“You could say that,” Genji started.

“We uh… Worked together, for a time. We didn’t get along,”

“Well, I hope things can change,” Zenyatta said, a smile in his voice despite everything. The pair looked at one another, Genji shrugging and Charlotte sighing, too tired to argue against it. Maybe things _could_ change. Doubtful. “Come, we need to leave or we’ll miss the train,”

Luckily they didn’t, and boarded with no problem. She sat across from them, head leaned against the wall of the train, eyes locked on the platform outside the window.

“Where are we going, anyway?”

“Mexico,” Genji said flatly, leaning his head back against the headrest. Charlie hummed, hands playing with the hem of her shirt as the train began to depart. This was it. There was no turning back now.

“There’s no need to be nervous,” Zenyatta chimed in, placing a hand on hers. “Everything will be fine,”

“I know… It’s just… always nerve wracking to leave home,”

Genji shifted in his seat; crossing his legs and shifting his weight to one hip, head now resting in a hand propped up on the arm rest.

“You get used to it eventually,” He muttered sleepily.

“I suppose,” She replied.


	14. VI - Hierophant

> **\-- VI - Hierophant --**  
>  Religion, group identification, conformity, tradition, beliefs

“Tell me about the Shambali,” Charlie started suddenly. She and Zen were sat out on their hotel balcony in Mexico. Genji had fallen asleep early; it had been a long day and he had always been quick to wear out after long missions and travels. At least he used to be, it was possible that had changed.

“What would you like to know?” He turned his face up to her from his place on the cold cement floor, having previously been meditating.

“How did they come to be?”

He went on to tell her about the time post crisis. A group of them, himself and his brother, Mondatta, included, experienced something they chose to call a spiritual awakening. It didn’t take the group long to leave their previous lives and leave, in favor of establishing a monastery, deep in the mountains. They spent many years in undisturbed meditation, until they came to the belief that they, omnics, were more than what they were programmed to be. That they, like humans, held souls, and were not so different from them. Mondatta led the group in attempts to repair the rift caused by the crisis through teaching anyone who was willing to listen.

Charlie listened intently, soaking in her companion’s history, so to speak. Though… There was one thing that didn’t quite fit.

“They don’t seem the travelling type,” She stated, hugging one knee up to her chest while the other remained hanging from the chair. “So why are _you_ travelling around?”

“I believe in the message, but I do not agree with their methods. Staying in the mountains is no way to bridge the gap. We need to be out in the world, showing humans we are not so different,”

“That does sound like something you would do,” She hummed, resting her head on her knee, watching the omnic as he turned his face to the sky, looking at the full moon. “Hey,” He hums in response. “Thanks again. For everything,” 

“Of course,”


	15. XV - Temperance

> **\-- XV - Temperance --**  
>  Balance, moderation, patience, purpose, meaning

The trio sat under a sad, droopy looking willow tree, a mild shelter from the warm Italian summer sun. The boys sat silent in meditation, while Charlotte leaned back against the trunk and watched as the monk’s orbs chimed and bounced like bells, her fingers playing with the grass. The park was bustling, the temperate weather drawing out adults and children alike. A pair of boys not too far from them were kicking a ball around, laughing and giggling loudly.

“You’re not going to meditate?” Genji asks, soft and careful.

“Mm… In a bit,” She hummed, resting her head back against the bark. “Just wanna relax a bit first,”

Charlotte heard a soft, slightly distorted chuckle from the cyborg and smiled in response.

Minutes passed before anything disturbed her, a soft thud against her foot made her open her eyes. A soccer ball had rolled toward them, and when she looked up for the owner, the pair of boys were sheepishly jogging toward them. Charlie sat up and grabbed the ball, lifting it for the boys. One grabs it, turning back to his friend, who was staring at Genji and Zen, eyes full of wonder.

Genji broke his position, hands now resting against his thighs, and looked up at the boys, who quickly began to babble in Italian, frantic and excited. Genji chuckled, raising a hand and waving at them, which only seemed to excite them more. They began to move back toward their previous spot, waving them over to play with them. The cyborg rose to his feet and brushed the dirt from his legs.

“You’ve always been quick to make friends, Genji,” Charlie said with a chuckle. He peered back and nodded.

“Why don’t you come play with us?”

“Fiiiine,” She feigned a displeased sigh as she rose, which quickly turned to a mirthful grin. “You should come too, Zen,”

The bot simply shook his head and chuckled, slowly turning himself in place, orbs jingling softly.

“I am happy to watch,”

“You sure?” He only nodded, to which she shrugged and jogged to catch up to Genji and the boys. They were tugging on the man’s arms and bickering in Italian, presumably fighting over who got Genji on their team; though when she finally caught up, one boy looked up at her and dropped the cyborg’s arm. 

“Okay, you can have him,” The child grumbled, trying to fake displeasure. He took his place beside the woman, staring up at her briefly with big eyes. “You look like my mama,”

Charlotte grinned down at him and patted him on the head.

“Well, your mama must be very pretty,” He nodded and pointed over to a lovely brunette who was seated on a bench close by, watching them with a soft smile. Charlie raised a hand and waved to her, earning a chuckle and a wave back.

“Are you ready to lose, Charlotte?” Genji called from several yards away, a grin audible in his voice.

“Awful cocky, Genji. You willing to bet on it?”

“Buy me dinner when we win,”

“I get to sleep next to master if I win,” She flashed a grin at the visible twitch in his shoulders.

“You’re on!”

They play for nearly an hour, even after the little boys get tired and sit off to the side, kicking the ball from one designated “goal” to another, which were nothing but a garbage can and a tree. It finally ends once their tie gets broken, Charlie coming out on top.

They meet in the middle of the field, panting softly, the girl grinning.

“Looks like I win,” Genji groans and crosses his arms, turning his face away. He still pouts like a child. Cute. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll still buy you dinner,” He looks back down at her, tilting his head to each side before nodding.

“Okay. But I’m making it expensive,”

“Don’t even think about it,” Charlie rolls her eyes and rests a hand on his lower back, directing him back towards their mentor. The sight they were greeted by was a young girl seated in his lap and placing a crown of braided daisies on his head, smiling wide. “Oh my god,” Charlotte whispers.

Genji lets out a hearty laugh, throwing an arm around the woman’s shoulders, burying his face plate into her skin.

“So precious,” He says between breaths. They move closer and they can hear their mentor laughing himself, raising a hand to pat the girl on her head before turning his attention to her father, who was seated close by. “Making friends, master?”

Zenyatta turns his face up to them and nods once.

“I see you two have made up?”

“Something like that,” Genji says.

It isn’t long until the girl and her father have to leave, and the trio decide they should as well, seeing as the sun was beginning to set . They all waved goodbye and go in seperate directions.

“I’m glad that I came with you two,” Charlotte sighed, taking two long strides to get ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be a lot longer and happy (and may or may not include sex, depending on if I want to separate the sex from the fluff), I promise. I hope you're enjoying it so far though!


	16. XX - Sun

> **\-- XX - Sun --**  
>  Fun, warmth, success, positivity, vitality

After much persuasion, or begging depending on who you asked, from both Charlie and Genji, they arrived in Illios, Greece, but not for “work”. The two bounded out of the airport, suitcases in toe, and looked around the city, drinking in as much as possible before their master could come out and attempt to gather their attentions. Genji pointed out to the spartan statue in the middle of the ocean, excitedly rambling in a frenzied mashup of Japanese and English. Charlotte, in turn, pointed toward the large cruise ship that was passing, blaring its horn.

“Come, you two, we need to check in,”

The pair groaned, but obediently followed the monk to their hotel. Charlotte managed to call in an old favor to get a room in a hotel with an amazing view of the sea. Once she shoved the door open, she threw her stuff aside and rushed to the balcony, throwing the double doors open and leaning over the rails. 

“Genji, Genji! Look!” She pointed out toward the large group of gulls flying past, only a handful of yards away. The cyborg rushed to her side and began to laugh, the gulls squawking as they pass. 

“Master, let’s go out! Explore the city!” Genji turned to call, but Zenyatta was sitting on the bed, legs crossed as if he were about to begin meditation.

“Why don’t we relax first? We are here for several days, and the city is quite large. There is no need to rush,”

“But… Zeeeeeen,” Charlie whined, stepping back into the room. “There’s so much that we might _miss something_ if we don’t start now!” 

“She’s right, master!” Genji bounded back into the room, jumping onto the bed beside the omnic, bouncing him slightly. “There’s so much, and who knows when we’ll be back!” 

Zenyatta sighed and hung his head.

“Why not go by yourselves? I will join you tomorrow, okay?”

Genji whined and flopped onto his side. He knew better than to throw a fit, so he merely sat back up and climbed off the bed.

“Okay, fine. Come on, let’s go,” He turned to the woman and held out a hand, waiting for her to take it, and a room key, before nearly running, and dragging her, out of the room.

They were blasted by a warm breeze once they left the building, the bright afternoon sun shining above their heads.

“Where to first?” She asked, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet, grip on his hand tightening.

“Want to go to the waterfront? And make our way back? OH! Wasn’t there an aquarium somewhere around there?” Charlotte nodded excitedly at the suggestion and began to tug him in the correct direction. They stopped every so often to poke their heads into a shop until they stood in front of the large building, faces lit up like a kid’s on Christmas. They didn’t even notice the line of actual children excitedly tugging on their mother’s skirts or sitting on their father’s shoulders. They quickly got into line and were able to get their tickets in a matter of minutes.

Once inside the dim building, they rushed straight for the nearest tank, Charlie reading the plaques and Genji pressing his metallic hands against the glass, trying to get the closest look possible at the fish. Occasionally he would ask what a certain fish was, and she would recite the information on the engraved plastic. This went on with every single tank in the building, and once they came around to the ray petting tanks, Charlotte stopped briefly, putting a hand on Genji’s as it rested on the edge of the open faced tank.

“Can you… Can you even submerge yourself in water? I don’t want you to electrocute yourself. Or the fish. Or… the children,” Her face scrunched into further and further concern as she went on. “Can you even feel them?”

Genji looked at her and sighed. She could practically see him rolling his eyes.

“Yes, I can. Angela was so kind to make me waterproof. And yes, I _can_ feel them. Just… not quite as well as when I was…” He trailed off, face lowering slightly.

“I… I didn’t mean to upset you, I was just worried. I want you to have a good time and I don’t want you to get hurt so I had to ask, I didn’t mean to-” Genji’s hand turned in hers and held tightly.

“Charlotte,” He started, an audible smile in his voice. “You’re babbling,” She nodded dumbly, dunking her hand into the water once he’d released it, fingers sliding against the ray’s smooth flesh. “This is nice,”

“It is,”

It isn’t long before they make their way toward the exit, only stopping near the giftshop, Charlotte having noticed a small, stuffed otter sitting in the window.

“I’ll be right back,” She was in and out in a matter of minutes, pair of bags in hand. She shoved one into Genji’s hands and began to walk off without him. He slowly began to walk after her, but was mostly interested in the contents of the bag. He reached a hand in and pulled out a shirt in his size, light blue, with a cartoon otter on it with the pun “otterly adorable” above it. He couldn’t help but let out a hearty laugh and jog to catch up to his companion and throw an arm around her shoulder just as they left the building. “Let’s go get something to eat,”

They wandered down the busy street, arms linked together, as they looked to either side of the pavement. Genji tugged on her arm when he noticed a seemingly popular looking shop, the word “gyros” in big, red letters. She nodded and they ventured to the other side of the street to the building. They were quick to receive their order and they were off on their way. They found a bench with a lovely view of the ocean, and the wide, white sanded beach. They sat quietly and ate, Genji’s facemask set between them.

“Mmm… Thif if good,” Genji moaned, back thudding against the bench as he relaxed, mouth full. 

“Don’t talk wif your mouf full,” Charlie mumbled back, her own mouth full.

“Hypocrite,” 

Charlotte glared at him and stuck the very tip of her tongue out at him. Genji chuckled and took another bite of his wrap. They sat in silence, enjoying their very late lunch, or perhaps early dinner, it being nearly 5pm at that point.

“Let’s go down to the beach,” Genji suggested as he lifted his visor back into place. The pair made their way slowly down the steps leading them toward the sandy plain, watching groups slowly packing up and fileing out, the sun slowly beginning to set. Warm breeze misted them with saltwater as they slowly wandered closer to the water’s edge. 

“Today was fun,” She sighed, stopping to turn toward the open water, watching the waves in the distance. “Thanks for helping me convince Zen to let us come,”

“I’ve always wanted to come back here. The last time I was here was for a mission,” Genji sighed and took his place beside her. “We should come back to the beach tomorrow, and bring master with us,”

Charlotte merely hummed in response, holding her arms behind her back as she stared down and kicked at the approaching and retreating water. They stand in silence for a few minutes before the blonde is lightly splashed with water, a soft gasp escaping her lips. Another splash causes her to look over at the kneeling man beside her who had begun to snicker.

“Play with me,” He said simply. She rolled her eyes and was rewarded with another splash. She yelped softly and took a step back. “Come on!”

Charlotte groaned and kicked some water in his direction, which made him flinch slightly. It escalated from there, bigger and bigger splashes came with the rising tide, which made them laugh more and louder, until they were worn out, lying back against the cooled sand higher on the beach and staring up at the stars, giggling softly.

“I’m f-fucking soaked, Gen,” She said between breaths. “We should get back soon,”

“Just a little longer,” 

“Please, Genji? I’m cold and there’s sand in places sand should never be,” Charlie groaned, sitting up and shaking sand from her loose, sand colored hair. “We’re coming back tomorrow, right?” 

“Yeaaaah,” He groaned, making a big show of getting to his feet and dusting himself off.

The trek back to the hotel was probably too leisurely, if you’d asked Charlotte, and not leisurely enough, if you’d asked Genji. Zenyatta was nowhere to be found, much to their confusion, though they quickly dropped the subject, Genji collapsing on the bed and Charlie stripping herself of her wet clothing as she made her way to her suitcase to retrieve a change of clothes.

She wasn’t aware of the eyes on her bare back as she moved to the bathroom and locked the door behind her. When she came out, clean and dressed, towel wrapped around her neck, she couldn’t help but smile at the sleepy boy in the bed, trying his best to stay awake and focus on the tv across the way. He ran a cool, metallic hand across his bare, scarred face before looking up at her.

“Hey sleepyhead,”

“Hey,”

“I think it’s time for bed, Genji, you’re falling asleep,” He groaned in response and threw back the covers, climbing under them. Once comfortable, he stared up at the other, who had been seated on the other bed, drying her hair and watching what ever commercial was currently on.

“Come here,”

“Mm? Why?”

Genji just stared up at her with big, chocolate brown eyes, other half of the blanket drawn back with an arm stretched out across the pillow. With a smirk, and a roll of her eyes, she discarded the towel on the bed and crawled in beside him, only to be dragged closer by a pair of arms.

“Mmm… _Oyasumi_ Charlotte,” He mumbled sleepily, nuzzling his face into the pillow. Charlie sighed and wiggled, a feeble attempt to get comfortable, eventually giving up and curling into Genji’s surprisingly warm chest.

“Bonsoir, Genji,”

Zenyatta found them an hour later, after coming back from a long stroll around the now moonlit city, tangled in each other’s limbs, foreheads pressed against one another’s. He couldn’t help but chuckle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to separate the fluff and the sex (oops, spoilers), but I'll get it out as fast as my tired little fingers will let me.


	17. XVI - The Devil (pt.2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm really tired rn, too tired to really go through and truly edit this chapter. I feel I've been sitting on it long enough, so enjoy it in all of its repetitively worded glory.

> **\-- XVI - The Devil --**  
>  Bondage, addiction, sexuality, materialism

Charlie wakes up first, groaning at how hot it had become under the covers. She tries to shut her eyes and get a little more sleep, but the soft snoring beside her catches her attention instead. Genji didn’t remove his mask often, but she’d always been… happy when he did; even covered in the scars of his past, he was a beautiful man. Long eyelashes contrasted against pale skin, full lips pursed just so. She couldn’t help but bring a hand to his face, running the very tips of her fingers along the seam of the black artificial skin, which divided his face in half. She dared to allow her hand to venture higher, where his dark hair, which was getting quite shaggy, had fallen into his face. Genji began to stir once she’d brushed the locks out of his face.

Hazy chocolate eyes fluttered open, staring for a few seconds, taking their sweet time focusing before their owner flashed her a sleepy smile.

“Good morning,” 

“Hi,” He whispered back.

“Sorry if I woke you,” She muttered, looking away sheepishly, her hand slipping from his face. Genji just hummed and continued to gaze down at her. “How did you sleep?” 

“Good,” A gasp escaped her lips when strong arms pulled her closer and a face buried itself into her neck. “It’s been a long time since I’ve slept beside someone so warm,” They laid in silence for several minutes, listening to each other’s breathing, and soft, pleased sounds accented by the sounds of gulls outside the window. The peace was soon broken by Genji, who grinned into the crook of her neck and blew into the skin, creating an obscene sound. Charlotte yelped and tried to jerk away, but was held firmly in place as the next one came, making her giggle.

“Genjiiii!” Another raspberry against her neck immediately followed. “St-Stooop! It tickles!” Her laughter only intensified when fingers found her sides, which continued relentlessly tickling until Genji himself dissolved into laughter as well, soon pressing soft kisses into her throat as an apology, hands sliding into their previous positions on her back. “No f-fair…” She said through her final huffs of laughter before pressing into him, pressing him onto his back. “I can’t tickle you back, ‘s no fair,” 

“I’m sorry,” Synthetic fingers slowly brushed up her arm as she sat up, using his chest as support as she moved to straddle a leg. “You can try, though you may have to press a bit harder than you normally would,” She just hummed and stared down at him, scanning his body. Looking for the most… the most likely spot. Her eyes seemed to like focusing on his thighs, thick synthetic muscles flexing with every movement. She knew how powerful those legs were. “Charlie?” He called softly, brow raised and smirk plastered on his face. “You’re staring,”

“Mmm?” Her gaze didn’t waver, even as her hands slid up and dug into the expanse of his thighs, feeling the cyborg shudder. “I guess I am,” 

“Charlotte,” Genji sing-songed, hands trailing up her own semi-bare thighs, fingers slipping under the thin material of her shorts. “This isn’t _tickling_ ,”

“I guess not,” She hummed, smirk spreading across her features. Their eyes locked, and they began to play something of a game of chicken, their hands slid higher up each other’s thighs, closer to more… intimate parts. Charlotte chuckled as she watched Genji’s gaze break away, his face reddening, and move lower once his fingertips reached the front of her underwear, her own toying with the fabric covering his own crotch. “Is this okay?”

“ _Motto_ ,” Genji sighs, hips grinding up into her hand, an action that makes her smirk grow. “ _More_ ,” A tongue darts out to wet her lips, mouth suddenly very dry. Her thumb slips under the cloth and massages slowly, the folds underneath slick with fluids. The breathless sigh it earns her sends a shiver down her spine.

“So that’s what you asked her for…” She whispered, staring down at him with half-lidded eyes, even as he looks away, embarrassed. “Angela is quite good at what she does,” She starts, moving to seat herself between his legs, which spread easily to accommodate her. “Feels so real…”

“Jesse said the same thing,” He said, looking a little too smug. His smugness earned him a pair of fingers pressing into him, a little rougher than was probably wise, but he didn’t seem to mind. On the contrary, he let out a low moan, hips canting once again.

“Careful, Genji,” She warned, leaning forward to hover over him. “Keep talking like that, and I’ll leave you like this,”

“If you leave _me_ , then you won’t get anything either,” Genji chuckled, hands moving to rub at her chest, thumbs digging lightly into her collarbone.

“I can handle not fucking. In fact, I haven’t for… quite some time,” Charlie hummed, leaning closer to kiss at his neck. “But can you?” Genji whined, her fingers having begun to move. “Well? Can you?” His face only contorted further, his embarrassment clear. “Come on, my little slut, answer me,” She purred, dragging the tip of her tongue along the shell of his ear.

“Nnn… No, ma’am…”

“Good boy,” Charlie purrs, straightening her posture as her eyes sweep lower, fixing on where her fingers are comfortably situated. “Can you take this off?” She asks softly, her other hand tugging at the fabric. Genji groans softly, the fingers inside of him slowly stroking his walls, but nods slowly. She waits patiently, watching closely as her companion’s fingers move to unclasp the stretchy material from the armored suit, doing her best to memorize what pieces to move in order to get to the clasp itself. “ _Fuck_ ,” The cloth fell away and she was greeted by an absolutely gorgeous, if she did say so herself, cunt. Sure the skin was green and… glowing, but it was gorgeous all the same. 

“My eyes are up here,” Genji said, breathlessly chuckling afterwards.

“I know, but as much as I love that face of yours, I’d like to…” She trailed off, biting her lower lip as she slid lower to lay on her stomach. “Explore a little,”

“B-But I…” His words were cut off briefly by a groan forcing its way out of his throat, the feeling of a tongue laving over his clit a new, and unexpected feeling. “I wanted to k-kiss you,” Charlotte lifted her head, smirking up at him and licking her lips.

“I’ll kiss you when I _taste_ like you,”

“F- _Fuck_ ,” He moaned, rolling his hips forward. “Yes please,”

The blonde chuckled once more before diving back between his legs, dragging the flat of her tongue along his pussy, moaning softly at the taste. She slowly began to thrust her fingers, crooking them with each pull, much to his delight. The cyborg swore softly when the fingers retreated, leaving him empty, but almost immediately, he was filled once again. His head tipped back with a low moan, his hand sliding down to tangle in her messy hair. It wasn’t until both of her hands pressed his thighs back, that he looked down at her, only to see her looking back up at him, looking decidedly smug.

With a soft, wavering breath, Genji rested his other hand on her head, pressing it forward. Charlie moaned and went with it, fucking him with her tongue the best she could from that position. One hand slid down the back of his thigh ever so slowly, feeling every inch of the synthetic muscle flex under her fingers, until her thumb came in contact with the side of her face. 

“Fuuuck…” Genji moaned, grinding his hips against his friend’s face, head tipped back in ecstasy. He barely heard the soft giggle that came from between his legs over the sound of his own moans, her thumb having moved higher to massage the sensitive bundle of nerves just above her nose. Her fingers and mouth swapped places a few times, lips and tongue moving against the sensitive nub while fingers fucked into the tight channel below, though after a few swaps, Charlotte sat up, bringing her soaked fingers to her mouth, licking them clean. “Hhahh?” Genji whined breathlessly, staring up at her with a hazy, unfocused gaze. “Why’d you…?”

“Jaw’s gettin’ tired,” She mumbled, moving to hover over him before leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss to his slightly parted lips. “I’ll finish you off in a moment, mon amour,” As she began to sit up, she was quickly dragged back down into a sloppy kiss, mechanical hand holding the back of her neck. She let out a startled moan, taking a moment before kissing back, her own hand moving to caress the side of her friend’s face as her tongue slipped into his hot mouth. Their tongues dance for a few moments before she pulls away, pressing her forehead against his. “Genji, will you put that pretty mouth of yours to good use?” He hums softly, but nods, hands running up her thighs once more before grabbing her ass. One hand pulls back and swats her less than gently, causing her to cry out.

“Take these off and turn around,” Genji purrs, swatting her ass again, this time earning a moan.

“Yes _sir_ ,” The role reversal makes him smirk and lick his lips.

“ _Good girl_ ,” Charlotte lifts herself onto her knees and pulls her loose sleep shirt higher, revealing the smallest sliver of skin as she hooks her thumbs under the waistband of her shorts, quickly tugging them, and her underwear, down her thighs. “Good girl… _Good girl_ , nice and slow,” He purred, hungrily watching every inch of skin as it’s revealed to him. Once her lower half is bare, his cool hands run up her thighs once more before raising them to rest beside his head. “Turn around, show me that ass,” Charlotte bit her lip and nodded, moving to turn and straddle the man’s waist before bending forward. She held herself up with one hand while the other held her shirt up and out of the way. “God damn… Look at you,” A shiver ran down her spine, that same cool hand running up the back of her thigh. “How are you so wet already? Haven’t even touched you…” He murmured, running a thumb along her glistening folds, smirking at the pleased sigh it earned him.

“Well… your moans are… really hot,” Her hips moved back against his hand, breath hitching as the fingers from his free hand thrust into her tight entrance. “Aahh… And you taste… Nngh… You taste amazing,”

“I bet you’ll taste even better, _Eli-chan_ ,” He licked his lips and gripped her hips before yanking her hips back onto his mouth, laving along the soaked folds. He grins into her, hands sliding higher to spread her apart, tongue thrusting to her, the pair moaning in unison.

“ _Oh_ -” Charlie’s head fell forward as her hips ground back onto his tongue. God this felt good. It had been so long since anyone else had touched her like this, not since… Not since Jesse, really. Sure there had been one or two quick, handsy makeout sessions with a near stranger after a date, but that was it. God she needed this. Needed _him_. “Genji,” She whined.

“Yeees?”

“ _More_ ,”

“Mmm… I’m sorry, love, say that again? Didn’t quite catch that,” Genji smirked, lazily dragging his tongue along her folds.

“ _Genji_ , more. Fuck me more,” She whined. “Please?”

“Good girl. Okay, I’ll give you more,” And he did. Almost immediately, he pressed two fingers into her and moved to lap at her clit, earning him a delightful moan.

“Oooh thank you, thank you thank you thank yooou,” Her little mantra continued for a few more seconds, peppered with pleasured sobs, until another smack to her ass cut her off.

“As much as I love your voice, shut up _and put that mouth to good use_ ,” 

Charlotte whined, her head falling forward, resting on the thigh under her while the hand previously used as support moved to stroke the man’s neon green folds. Genji urged her on with soft words and praise, paired with slow gyrations of his hips, until her face was buried exactly where he wanted it.

The couple continued to lick and lap at each other, fingers diving deep into warm, soft spaces, exploring one another’s bodies and exploiting each little spot that made them cry out and jerk. This went on for quite some time, until Charlie cried out one final time, body jerking as the tightly wound coil in her stomach came undone.

“Genji Genji ffuuuck _Genji_!” She all but yelled as he continued to lap at her clit, ripping every ounce of pleasure from her. He only stopped when she let out a pained sob and begged him to stop. “T-Too much,” She said softly, continuing to lazily thrust her fingers, despite her tired body wanting to relax.

“Sorry,” Genji chuckled, pulling his hands off of her in favor of licking his soaked fingers clean. “You’re delicious, by the way,” 

Charlotte hummed, nodding dumbly as she stared down at the dripping pussy in front of her face. She wanted to finish him off so badly, but it had been so long since she last came that hard. It took a lot out of her.

“We need a strap on or something,” She mumbled, climbing sluggishly off of him in favor of laying beside him, still fucking him with her fingers.

“Tired?” He asked, a wide smirk on his face, chuckling when she frowned and nodded. “Come here, you can finish me off later,” Genji dropped an arm to his side, across the pillows and waited for his sluggish lover to join him, throwing the covers back over them once she’d finally reached him. 

Charlotte moaned softly as she nuzzled her face into his chest, throwing an arm over his chest and a leg over his own.

“That was… good,” 

“ _Very_ good,” He reached down to tip her face up, pressing his lips softly against hers, earning another soft moan when she pressed back. Genji licked his lips when she pulled back, his arm moving to hug her closer. “You’re right, though. We do need a strap on…”

They laid silent, both coming down from their highs, one faster than the other. Genji’s sex throbbed incessantly, as if urging him to touch himself, but he refrained, no matter how much he wanted to, favoring nuzzling his face into his companion’s hair. Charlotte hummed, smiling into Genji’s warm neck.

The peace was soon interrupted by the hotel room’s door opening, a soft robotic humming filling the previously silent room. The couple jerked slightly, startled by the sudden intrusion, but quickly calmed once Zenyatta floated into view.

“Ah. Good morning, my students. Did you sleep well?” Zen watched the two for a moment before turning to set a bag and a cardboard palette with a pair of cups down on the little table beside the balcony door. “I brought breakfast,”

“Th-Thank you,” Charlie mumbled, suddenly very aware of their current state, very bare from the waist down and mussed up hair. She was sure that, if he could smell, he would immediately notice the strong smell of sex permeating the room.

“That’s very kind of you, master,” Genji said with a smile, subtly sliding a hand under the covers, fumbling with the modesty cloth and various clasps.

“I’m glad to see you two are getting along,” Zenyatta said, audible smile in his voice as he moved to sit on the edge of the other bed. “You were cuddling through the whole night,”

Genji nodded and began to sit up, stretching his arms up before sliding out of bed, his flap having been put back into place.

“Master, shall we go to the beach today?” He piped up, cheery as ever as he made his way toward the bag and coffee cups, effectively drawing the omnic’s attention and allowing Charlie to grab her underwear and tug them on in record time.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea, Genji,” 

Genji’s smile brightened as he brought breakfast back to the bed, sitting on the edge beside his new lover, looking across the way at their teacher.

“Thank you for breakfast, Zen,” Charlotte said, taking the wrapped breakfast sandwich Genji had pulled from the bag and offered her. “It was sweet of you to go out so early for us,”

“It’s no trouble at all, I was already up and wanted to have a look around before the city awoke,”

“We should hurry and eat, I can’t wait to go back down there,” Genji was bouncing ever so slightly, the mattresses springs squeaking softly under his weight.

The blonde let out a laugh that was just a bit too loud. “It’s not going anywhere, mon cher,”

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed my work, consider [buying me a kofi](https://ko-fi.com/A65547J9) or visiting my [tumblr](http://pickleinspectorgadget.tumblr.com/).


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